Needle guard for sewing machines



May 7, 1929.

. M. SHAUNESSEY NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 15, 1927 ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,712,352 PATENT OFFICE.

MARTHA snnunnssnv, or enroneo, rumors.

NEEDLE GUARD non SEWING Mnenmns.

Application filed August 13, 1927. Serial No. 212,810.

This invention relates to certain novel improvcments in needle guards for sewing machines and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly ellicient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the several objects of the invention is to provide a needle guard which is of such structure as to guard the hand of the operator from coming into contact with the needle while at the same time not obstructing light to the needle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a needle guard for sewing machines which may be expeditiously adjusted from and into needle guarding position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and'claimed. v

The invention will be best understood by referring to the accompanying drawing; showing-r the preferred form of construction, and which Fig. 1., is a side view of the needle guard embodied in the invention showing the same attached to the presser bar of a sewing machine;

Fig.

same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 33 of 1 and;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable leg embodied in the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawinp; my improved needle guard is adapted to be associated with a sewing machine 10. This sewing machine includes a presser bar 11 and a needle bar 12. My improved needle guard includes a clamp 13. This clamp 13 is formed from a strip of material bent substantially U shaped to provide a bight por- 2 is a front elevational view of the tion 14 and limb portions 15. Thelimb pertions 15 have outwardly pressed portions 16 which. are adapted to engage the presser bar 11 and these limb portions are secured in clamp position with respect to the presser bar through the medium of a bolt 17 having threaded thereon a nut 18. The bigrht portion 14 of the clamp 13 has a downwardly extended portion 19 and secured to this extended portion 19 through the medium. of a rivet 20 is a spring leaf 21 carrying at its lower edge portion a head 22. Pivotally secured to the bight portion 14 through the medium of a rivet 23 is a plate 24 having formed at its lower end portion a recess 25 into which is adapted to yieldably snap the head 22. At one longitudinal side of the plate 24, inwardly of its upper end portion is a laterally extending arm 26 which is adapted to engage the presser barll for limiting pivotal movement of the plate intoposition to sup port the guard body 27 centrally with respect to the foot 28 of the presser bar and the needle 29 of the needle bar. This guard body is preferably formed in the following manner. Formed at the lower end portion of one of the longitudinal edges of the plate 24 is an extended portion 30. Extending from this portion 30 is a strip 31. This strip 31 is bent substantially S shaped with the 8 shape thereof disposed on one side of the needle bar and the outward end portion of the strip is bent substantially U shaped, inverted, with the U shaped portion disposed forwardly of the needle. This strip in the present instance forms a serpentine shaped guard at the front and one side of the needle. The limb portion 32 of the Ushaped portion of the strip is substantially shorter than the opposite limb 33 thereof and formed on this limb is a bifurcated extended portion 34 curved rearwardly to provide a vertical space 35 with a correspondingly curved bifurcated portion 36 formed on the opposite longitudinal edge of the plate 24. The adjacent edge portions 37 of the bifurcated portions 34 and 36 extend toward each other-to a point for slidable contact with the clamping structure 38 of the needle bar.

A sleeve 39 is formed from a sheet of metal and this sleeve embraces the limb portion 33 at its lower end portion and formed in one side of the sleeve is a slot 40 through which the lower end portion of the bifurcated extention 34 extends for connection with the limb portion 33. The upper end portion of the sleeve 39 provides a finger piece 41 which facilitates raising the sleeve relative to the limb portion 32. This sleeve is adapted to compensate for the inner portion 42 of a gauge bar 43 when adjustably associated. with the foot 28 through the medium of knurled thumb nut 44.

In use the guard is associated with the presserbar by clamping the guard thereto through the medium of the clamp 13. In operation the guard body is disposed to surround the needle 29. To thread the needle or remove the same the guard body is swung outwardly and upwardly through the medium of the pivotal connectionbetweenthe plate 2t and the elamp 13. When the guard body is in needle guarding position the arm 26 serves to position the guard body properly with respect to the needle and the yielda'bly held head 22 when engaging the recess 25 retains' the guard body against vibration brought about through the operation of the I machine.

When it is desired to associate the gauge bar 43 with the sewing machine the sleeve is I moved upwardly and positioned upon the end portion 4-2. This permits the downwardly extending portion 42 to be adjusted in properalignment with thefoot.

;By making the guard body of a' serpentine structure it will be obvious that the light to the needle Will not be obstructed and that the serpentine-guard body is of such structure 'asto guard the hand of the operator from comingzinto' contact-with the needle.

While I have illustrated the preferred form of Construction for carrying my invention into efi'ect this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the vspirit of' the'invention, I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details shown but desire to avail myself of such variations I connection with the presser bar of saidma- 1 V chine, a'pla-te pivotally suspended fromsaid clamping structure and having a recess formed in its lower end portion, a. spring member suspended from said clamping structure in parallel relation with said plate and having a head portion adapted to yicldably engage in said recess for retaining said plate in a predetern'iined position with respect to the needle bar of said machine, a strip extending from said plate and formed into serpentine formation to provide a guard for one side of the needle and needle bar of the machine and the front thereof, bifurcated portions extending toward each other from said plate and that portion of the strip forming the front guard, said bifurcated portions forming together a guard for the opposite side of said needle and needle bar.

2. A needle guard for a sewing machine including a guard forming a serpentine shaped portion providing a guard portion for one side of the needle and needle bar of the machine and a portion providing a substantially inverted U shaped guard portion for the front of said needle and needle bar, a plate, means for connecting said plate to the presservbar-ot the machine, converging bifurcated portions carried by said plate and one of the limb portions of said front portion and providing a guard for the opposite side of the needle and bar, one of the limbs of said U shaped portion being shorter in length than the other of the limbs providcd by said portion, and a sleeve slidably carried by said one of said limbs and slidable longitudinally with respect to said one of said limbs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MARTHA SHAUNESSEY. 

